Floor tile system for mounting vehicle seats and methods for mounting vehicle seats

ABSTRACT

A mounting tile for mounting a vehicle seat to a vehicle floor comprises at least two tubular members having a rectangular cross-sectional shape and a U-shaped channel having apertures that may include weld nuts for receiving fastener elements protruding from the bottom of the vehicle seat structure. A method for mounting a vehicle seat using the mounting tile includes affixing angle iron to the side edges of the floor, affixing a layer of metal plating on top of the angle iron, affixing one or more mounting tiles to the metal plating, positioning filler material between the one or more mounting tiles, positioning a floor covering over the mounting tiles and filler material, aligning the fastener elements of the vehicle seat structure with apertures in the mounting tile, and attaching the fastener elements and the seat to the mounting tile.

FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE

The present invention relates generally to a mounting tile system formounting vehicle seats to the floor of a vehicle, to enable a customizedfixed configuration or one-time reconfiguration of the arrangement ofseats in the vehicle, as well as to methods for mounting vehicle seatsusing the mounting tile apparatus.

BACKGROUND OF RELATED ART

Small delivery trucks and other commercial vehicles and vans are sold bythe original equipment manufacturer (OEM) with completed vehicle floors,sometimes having pre-installed seats. However, certain vehicle ownersdesire to customize their vehicle and configure or reconfigure theseating arrangement therein for specific purposes. For example, onevehicle owner may wish to configure the seats in a vehicle, such as avan, to enable the van to safely transport both passengers and cargo. Inanother example, a vehicle owner may wish to remove the original seatsand reconfigure the arrangement of seats to enable the vehicle to safelytransport a passenger confined to a mobility device, such as awheelchair or motorized scooter.

A key consideration for vehicle conversion is that vehicle seats mustmeet the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's Federal MotorVehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS) and Regulations. According to theNational Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the FMVSS relevant toseating systems establishes requirements for seats, attachmentassemblies and installation, to minimize the chances of failure due toforces acting on seats in the case of vehicle impact. As such, in anyvehicle conversion in which seats are installed or removed andre-configured, the seats must meet the requirements set by the FMVSS.

To reconfigure a vehicle's seating arrangement, it is known in thevehicle conversion business to remove the various layers of flooringinstalled by the original equipment manufacturer down to the vehicle'strue “floor,” which typically comprises an uneven metallic surface,referred to herein as “the OEM floor,” as shown at reference numeral 101in FIG. 1. At that point, the vehicle converter can rebuild variouslayers on top of OEM floor 101 to enable the mounting of seats in thenew configuration.

In one example, it is known that the vehicle floor atop the OEM floorcan be replaced, in part, with a series of tracks traveling parallel tothe longitudinal axis of the vehicle, wherein the tracks are capable ofreceiving and securing fastener elements protruding from the bottom ofthe replacement seats. Using these tracks, a vehicle owner canrestrainably move and relocate an installed seat forwards or backwards,parallel to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle, to enable the seats tobe securely positioned closer or farther to the front of the vehicle,typically, in full compliance with FMVSS. Such track assemblies providea specific benefit to the vehicle owner: the ability to move the seatsforward or backward, or side-to-side, from one point in the track toanother point, as desired, to reconfigure the seating arrangementquickly and easily, without the aid of a conversion technician. However,the flexibility provided by these track assemblies also comes withcertain drawbacks. For example, the track assemblies are expensive andcomplicated to install—and these drawbacks only need be endured if thevehicle owner requires that the vehicle seat configuration remainflexible and repositionable without taking the vehicle out of service.For vehicle owners who prefer a “permanent” customized seatingconfiguration (which can only be reconfigured by a vehicle conversiontechnician), these drawbacks can be avoided by utilizing the disclosuresof the present invention.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In one preferred embodiment of the present invention, a mounting tilefor mounting a vehicle seat structure to a vehicle floor comprises (1) afirst continuous tubular member with a substantially rectangular crosssectional shape, having a substantially flat top portion and a flatbottom portion, and a first end opposite a second end, the firstcontinuous tubular member also having a first longitudinal side and asecond longitudinal side opposite the first longitudinal side; (2) asecond continuous tubular member with a substantially rectangular crosssectional shape, a substantially flat top portion and a flat bottomportion, and a first end opposite a second end, the second continuoustubular member also having a first longitudinal side and a secondlongitudinal side opposite the first longitudinal side; and (3) aU-shaped channel having a substantially flat top portion, a firstlongitudinal side and a second longitudinal side opposite the firstlongitudinal side, and a first end opposite a second end. In thisembodiment, the second longitudinal side of the first tubular member isaffixed to the first longitudinal side of the U-shaped channel and thesecond longitudinal side of the U-shaped channel is affixed to the firstlongitudinal side of the second tubular member. The top portion of theU-shaped channel has at least two apertures for cooperating withfastener elements in the vehicle seat structure, and the top portion ofthe U-shaped channel is substantially co-planar with the substantiallyflat top portions of each of the first and second continuous tubularmembers.

In another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the first andsecond continuous tubular members are each affixed to the U-shapedchannel along their respective first and second longitudinal sidesthrough a longitudinal weld.

In these preferred embodiments of the present invention, at least one ofthe at least two apertures in the top portion of the U-shaped channelincludes a weld nut positioned immediately below and in alignment withthe aperture.

In a further preferred embodiment of the present invention, at least oneof the first and second ends of the first and second continuous tubularmembers and the U-shaped channel are aligned, and the invention alsoincludes at least one end plate affixed to the respective ends of thefirst continuous tubular member, the second continuous tubular memberand said U-shaped channel.

In this preferred embodiment of the present invention, the at least oneend plate is affixed to the first and second continuous tubular membersand the U-shaped channel collectively through welding.

In yet another preferred embodiment of the present invention, thelength, width and height of the first and second continuous tubularmembers are substantially equal.

In this preferred embodiment of the present invention, the length andwidth of the U-shaped channel is substantially identical to the lengthand width of the first and second continuous tubular members.

In another preferred embodiment of the present invention, a mountingtile for mounting a vehicle seat structure to a vehicle floor comprises(1) a first continuous tubular member with a substantially rectangularcross sectional shape, having a substantially flat top portion and aflat bottom portion, and a first end opposite a second end, the firstcontinuous tubular member also having a first longitudinal side and asecond longitudinal side opposite the first longitudinal side; (2) asecond continuous tubular member with a substantially rectangular crosssectional shape, a substantially flat top portion and a flat bottomportion, and a first end opposite a second end, the second continuoustubular member also having a first longitudinal side and a secondlongitudinal side opposite the first longitudinal side; (3) a thirdcontinuous tubular member with a substantially rectangular crosssectional shape, a substantially flat top portion and a flat bottomportion, and a first end opposite a second end, the third continuoustubular member also having a first longitudinal side and a secondlongitudinal side opposite said first longitudinal side; (4) a fourthcontinuous tubular member with a substantially rectangular crosssectional shape, a substantially flat top portion and a flat bottomportion, and a first end opposite a second end, the fourth continuoustubular member also having a first longitudinal side and a secondlongitudinal side opposite said first longitudinal side; (5) a firstU-shaped channel having a substantially flat top portion, a firstlongitudinal side and a second longitudinal side opposite the firstlongitudinal side, and a first end opposite a second end; (6) a secondU-shaped channel having a substantially flat top portion, a firstlongitudinal side and a second longitudinal side opposite said firstlongitudinal side, and a first end opposite a second end; and (7) aspaced gap between the second and third continuous tubular members, inwhich a bracket element with a substantially flat top portion ispositioned.

In this embodiment, the second longitudinal side of the first tubularmember is affixed to the first longitudinal side of the first U-shapedchannel, and the second longitudinal side of the first U-shaped channelis affixed to the first longitudinal side of the second tubular member.Similarly, the second longitudinal side of the second tubular member isaffixed to the first longitudinal side of the bracket element within thespaced gap, and the second longitudinal side of the bracket elementwithin the spaced gap is affixed to the first longitudinal side of thethird tubular member. Further, the second longitudinal side of the thirdtubular member is affixed to the first longitudinal side of the secondU-shaped channel, and the second longitudinal side of the secondU-shaped channel is affixed to the first longitudinal side of the fourthtubular member. The top portion of the first and second U-shapedchannels has at least two apertures for cooperating with fastenerelements in the vehicle seat structure, and the top portions of thefirst and second U-shaped channels are substantially co-planar with thesubstantially flat top portion of the bracket element and thesubstantially flat top portions of each of the first, second, third andfourth continuous tubular members.

In another preferred embodiment of the invention, the continuous tubularmembers are affixed to the U-shaped channels along their respectivefirst and second longitudinal sides through a longitudinal weld.

In yet another preferred embodiment of the invention, at least one ofthe at least two apertures in the top portion of the U-shaped channelincludes a weld nut positioned immediately below and in alignment withthe aperture.

In a different preferred embodiment of the present invention, at leastone of the first and second ends of the continuous tubular members, thespaced gap and the U-shaped channels are aligned, and the mounting tileapparatus also includes at least one end plate affixed to the respectiveends of the continuous tubular members and the U-shaped channels.

In another preferred embodiment of the invention, the at least one endplate is affixed through welding.

In a different preferred embodiment of the invention, the length, widthand height of each of the first, second, third and fourth continuoustubular members are substantially equal.

In yet another preferred embodiment of the invention, the length andwidth of the first and second U-shaped channels are substantiallyidentical to the length and width, respectively, of the first, second,third and fourth continuous tubular members.

In a different preferred embodiment of the present invention, thebracket element has an aperture that is substantially co-planar with atleast one of the apertures in the first and second U-shaped channels.

Another preferred embodiment of the present invention includes a methodfor mounting a vehicle seat structure to a vehicle floor, where thevehicle seat structure has fastener elements and the vehicle floor haspre-formed ridges within its OEM floor. The method includes the steps of(1) affixing a layer of angle iron to at least the side edges of the OEMfloor to a height substantially equal to the height of the pre-formedridges, to create a substantially level primary surface formed by thepre-formed ridges and the angle iron; (2) affixing a substantially levelsecondary surface on top of the substantially level primary surfaceformed by the pre-formed ridges and the angle iron; (3) affixing atleast one vehicle seat mounting tile to the substantially levelsecondary surface, the at least one mounting tile having at least onefastener element positioned therewithin; (4) positioning a fillermaterial on top of the substantially level secondary surface atlocations in which no mounting tiles were affixed to the substantiallylevel secondary surface, to create a substantially level tertiarysurface formed by the at least one mounting tile and the fillermaterial; (5) positioning a floor covering on top of the substantiallylevel tertiary surface; (6) aligning the fastener elements in thevehicle seat structure with the at least one fastener element in the atleast one mounting tile; and (7) attaching the fastener elements in thevehicle seat structure to the at least one fastener element in themounting tile to restrainably attach the vehicle seat structure inposition atop the floor covering.

In one preferred embodiment of this method, each of the affixing stepsare accomplished through welding.

In one preferred embodiment of this method, the filler materialcomprises one or more pieces of wood.

In another preferred embodiment of this method, the height of the fillermaterial is substantially identical to the height of the at least onemounting tile.

In yet another preferred embodiment of this method, the substantiallylevel secondary surface comprises a layer of metal plating.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a partial perspective view of a prior art OEM floor of avehicle depicting the ridges integrally formed in (molded or stampedinto) the OEM floor.

FIG. 2A is a top perspective view of an example mounting tile forpermanently mounting a standard vehicle seat within a vehicle accordingto the present invention.

FIG. 2B is a bottom plan view of the mounting tile shown in FIG. 1A.

FIG. 2C is an elevated cross-sectional view of the mounting tile shownin FIG. 2B, taken along line 2C-2C, and looking in the direction of thearrows.

FIG. 3A is a top perspective view of an example mounting tile forpermanently mounting a folding vehicle seat according to the presentinvention.

FIG. 3B is a bottom plan view of the mounting tile shown in FIG. 2A.

FIG. 3C is an elevated cross-sectional view of the mounting tile shownin FIG. 3B, taken along line 3C-3C, and looking in the direction of thearrows.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the OEM floor of FIG. 1, in which avehicle conversion technician has elected to affix bar stock in betweenthe pre-formed ridges of the OEM floor.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the OEM floor of FIG. 4, in which angleiron has been affixed around the sides of the vehicle floor, and supportstruts have been affixed in the front, middle and rear of the vehiclefloor.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the vehicle floor of FIG. 5, in whichmetal plating has been affixed onto the tops of the angle iron, theoptional bar stock and the strut members to create a flat, levelsurface, upon which the mounting tiles can be affixed.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the vehicle floor of FIG. 6, in whichexample mounting tiles have been affixed on top of the metal plating.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the vehicle floor of FIG. 7, in whichpieces of filler material have been affixed in between the examplemounting tiles, and a partial floor covering has been positioned overthe tops of the filler material and mounting tiles.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the vehicle floor of FIG. 8, in whichthe installed mounting tiles are visible in phantom through thecompleted floor covering, and in which a standard vehicle seat has beeninstalled on top of two mounting tiles in the rear of the vehicle.

FIG. 10 is an elevated cross-sectional view of mounting tile 10 a shownin FIG. 9, taken along line 10-10, and looking in the direction of thearrows, showing the fastener elements cooperating with a standardvehicle seat to affix the vehicle seat to the mounting tile.

FIG. 11 is an elevated cross-sectional view of mounting tie 20 a shownin FIG. 9, taken along line 11-11, and looking in the direction of thearrows, showing the fastener elements cooperating with a folding vehicleseat, to affix the vehicle seat to the mounting tile.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Reference will now be made in detail to the preferred embodiments of theinvention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings. While the invention will be described in conjunction with thepreferred embodiments, the invention is intended to cover alternatives,modifications and equivalents, which may be included within the spiritand scope of the invention as defined by the claims. Furthermore, in thedetailed description of the present invention, several specific detailsare set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of thepresent invention. However, one of ordinary skill in the art willappreciate that the present invention may be practiced without thesespecific details. Thus, while the invention is susceptible to embodimentin many different forms, the subsequent description of the presentdisclosure should be considered as an exemplification of the principlesof the invention, and should not be limited to the specific embodimentsshown and described herewithin.

As noted above, FIG. 1 depicts a portion of an example vehicle floor100, including OEM floor 101. OEM floor 101 typically includes a seriesof ridges 110 formed integrally within OEM floor 101. Compared with anentirely flat surface, ridges 110 in OEM floor 101—and the fact thatridges 110 are integrally formed therein—provide additional stability tothe floor of a vehicle in case of impact. Still, ridges 110 create anuneven surface, and since the mounting tiles of the present inventionrequire affixation to a flat, stable surface, vehicle conversiontechnicians must “fill in the gaps” and reinforce the strength of OEMfloor 101, as described hereinbelow.

Referring now to FIGS. 2A-2C, an example mounting tile 10 according tothe present invention is shown. Mounting tile 10 is intended for use inmounting a standard vehicle seat, and comprises first tube 11 and secondtube 12, both of which are substantially rectangular in cross-sectionalshape. That is, each of first tube 11 and second tube 12 include a flattop portion and a flat bottom portion, a first end opposite a secondend, and a first longitudinal side opposite a second longitudinal side.Mounting tile 10 further comprises U-shaped channel 14, which has a flattop portion, a first longitudinal side opposite a second longitudinalside, and a first end opposite a second end. U-shaped channel 14 ispositioned in between, and affixed to, first tube 11 and second tube 12parallel to a common longitudinal axis L. Specifically, a longitudinalside of first tube 11 is attached to a first longitudinal side ofU-shaped channel 14, while the second longitudinal side of U-shapedchannel 14 is attached to a first longitudinal side of second tube 12.Once first tube 11, second tube 12 and U-shaped channel 14 have beenpositioned adjacently and affixed to one another as shown in FIG. 2A,end caps 13 a are affixed at the respective first and second opposingends 13 of mounting tile 10.

U-shaped channel 14 comprises apertures 16, 17 and 18 for receivingfastener elements (not shown in FIGS. 2A-2C) which cooperate with amounting bracket on the bottom of a standard vehicle seat (also notshown in FIGS. 2A-2C). More specifically, apertures 16 and 17 mayinclude weld nuts 16′ and 17′ for telescopically receiving the fastenerelements. Weld nuts 16′ and 17′ are not strictly necessary; rather, theyassist vehicle conversion technicians by acting as a secondary fastenerelement (to be used with a primary fastener element, such as a bolt, forexample). Positioning weld nuts 16′ and 17′ in alignment with apertures16 and 17 provides a vehicle conversion technician with greateraccessibility to the secondary fastener element, whereas the absence ofsuch weld nuts may require the vehicle conversion technician to positiona similar secondary fastener element in a place that is difficult toreach.

Aperture 18 likewise may or may not include a weld nut. In the casewhere aperture 18 does not include a weld nut, aperture 18 may receivean elongated fastener element, which has a greater length than thefastener elements which cooperate with weld nuts 16′ and 17′. Theelongated fastener element protrudes downwardly through mounting tile 10and through OEM floor 101, as shown in FIG. 10 and further describedrelative to FIG. 10 hereinbelow. The elongated fastener element is thentelescopically received beneath OEM floor 101 by a cooperating threadedfastener element. This affixation beneath OEM floor 101 is believed toprovide greater stability to mounting tile 10 and any vehicle seatmounted thereon, compared with the shorter fastener element thatcooperate with weld nuts 16′ and 17′.

Referring now to FIGS. 3A-3C, an example mounting tile 20 according tothe present invention is shown. Mounting tile 20 is intended for use inmounting cantilevered vehicle seats that are capable of folding to astowed position, as shown in FIG. 11 and further described relative toFIG. 11 hereinbelow. In such vehicle seats, the seatback can be foldeddown on top of the seating portion, and the combined seatback/seatingportion can be rotated to a stowed, vertical position. Such vehicleseats may include those sold under the trademark FSC FOLDAWAY®, whichtrademark is owned and used by Freedman Seating Co. of Chicago, Ill.,the assignee of the present invention. Whereas standard vehicle seatsmay be mounted using more than one mounting tile disclosed herein, suchfolding seats are cantilevered, and may therefore be mounted using onlya single mounting tile, for example, mounting tile 20.

Mounting tile 20 comprises first tube 21, second tube 22, third tube 23and fourth tube 24—each of which is substantially rectangular incross-sectional shape. That is, each of first tube 21, second tube 22,third tube 23 and fourth tube 24 include a flat top portion and a flatbottom portion, a first end opposite a second end, and a firstlongitudinal side opposite a second longitudinal side. Mounting tile 20further comprises U-shaped channels 25 and 26, each of which has a flattop portion, a first longitudinal side opposite a second longitudinalside, and a first end opposite a second end. U-shaped channel 25 ispositioned in between, and affixed to, first tube 21 and second tube 22parallel to a common longitudinal axis L. Likewise, U-shaped channel 26is positioned in between, and affixed to, third tube 23 and fourth tube24 parallel to axis L. More specifically, a longitudinal side of firsttube 21 is attached to a first longitudinal side of U-shaped channel 25,while the second longitudinal side of U-shaped channel 25 is attached toa first longitudinal side of second tube 22. The second longitudinalside of second tube 22 is positioned adjacent to spaced gap 27, which ispositioned adjacent to a first longitudinal side of third tube 23.Likewise, here, the second longitudinal side of third tube 23 is affixedto a first longitudinal side of U-shaped channel 26, while the second,opposite longitudinal side of U-shaped channel 26 is affixed to alongitudinal side of fourth tube 24. Once first tube 21, second tube 22,third tube 23 and fourth tube 24 have been positioned and affixed toU-shaped channels 25 and 26, and second tube 22 and third tube 23 havebeen positioned and affixed to bracket 32, as shown in FIG. 3A, end caps28 a are affixed, such as by welding, at the respective first and secondopposing ends 28 of mounting tile 20.

As in the case of mounting tile 10, each of U-shaped channels 25 and 26in this example comprises apertures 36, 37 and 38 for receiving fastenerelements (not shown in FIGS. 3A-3C) that protrude from the bottom ofvehicle seats. Apertures 36 and 37 may or may not include weld nuts 36′and 37′, which provide accessibility for vehicle conversion technicians.Weld nuts 36′ and 37′ may telescopically receive the fastener elementsfrom a vehicle seat. In addition, spaced gap 27 includes bracket 32 withits own aperture 33, which may include a weld nut 33′ for telescopicallyreceiving a fastener element from a vehicle seat. Notably, becausespaced gap 27 includes bracket 32 with its own aperture 33, apertures 37are optional in this example of the present invention, because the threerear-facing apertures 38, 33 may be sufficient on their own to preventforward movement of the vehicle seat, upon any vehicle impact. As withaperture 16 in mounting tile 10, apertures 38 in mounting tile 20 may ormay not include weld nuts.

Apertures 38 may receive an elongated fastener element that alsoprotrudes through a mounting bracket affixed to a vehicle seat. Forapertures 38 that do not include weld nuts, the elongated fastenerelements may be of a greater length than the fastener elements whichcooperate with weld nuts 16′ and 17′. The elongated fastener elementprotrudes downward through mounting tile 20 and through OEM floor 101,as shown in the context of mounting tile 10 a in FIG. 10, and furtherdescribed relative to FIG. 10 hereinbelow. The elongated fastenerelement is then telescopically received beneath OEM floor 101 by acooperating threaded fastener element. This affixation beneath OEM floor101 is believed to provide greater stability to mounting tile 20 and anyvehicle seat mounted thereon, compared with the shorter fastener elementthat cooperate with weld nuts 36′ and 37′.

Referring to FIG. 4, an example vehicle floor 100 is shown, whichincludes OEM floor 101. One possible first step in the process ofinstalling the example mounting tiles in a vehicle is to affix layers ofbar stock 112 in between ridges 110 of OEM floor 101. Preferably, barstock 112 is of the same height as ridges 110, so as to create a basisfor laying and affixing a flat surface, as described hereinbelow. Theaffixation of bar stock 112 to OEM floor 101 may be by welding, or byany other suitable means known by those of skill in the art to yieldpermanent affixation. The affixation of bar stock 112 is not necessaryto the present invention, but can be used to provide additionalstability for vehicle floor 100.

Referring to FIG. 5, a layer of angle iron 114 is affixed around theperimeter of OEM floor 101. Angle iron 114 affixes and bonds to both OEMfloor 101 and to the walls of the vehicle, thereby reinforcing OEM floor101 to the vehicle walls, and providing additional stability. Again, themeans of affixation may be by welding, or by any other suitable meansknown by those of skill in the art to yield permanent affixation. Onceangle iron 114 has been affixed, support struts 116 are affixedlaterally across the vehicle at the vehicle's front, the vehicle's rearand the middle of the vehicle. Support struts 116 further reinforce thestability of OEM floor 101 and the vehicle by connecting the affixedangle iron 114 on opposite sides of the vehicle. Together, the ridges110, optional bar stock 112, support struts 116 and the (horizontalportion of the) angle iron 114 are at substantially the same height, andthereby form a substantially flat primary surface upon which anotherlayer can be placed.

With reference to FIG. 6, a layer of metal plating 118, for example, 14gauge plate, is affixed to the optional pieces of bar stock 112 and toridges 110 of OEM floor 101 (each shown in phantom) to create asecondary flooring surface. Metal plating 118 creates the secondarysurface as a flat surface on which the example mounting tiles can beaffixed. FIG. 7 depicts OEM floor 101 with metal plating 118 affixedthereon, together with mounting tiles 10 and 20. The means of affixationof mounting tiles 10 and 20 to metal plating 118 may be by welding, orby any other suitable means known to those of skill in the art to yieldpermanent affixation.

Referring to FIG. 8, after mounting tiles 10 and/or 20 have been affixedto metal plating 118, pieces of filler material 120 are laid in betweenmounting tiles 10 and/or 20 for the purpose of again creating a flat,level, temporary tertiary surface. Filler material 120 may be pieces ofwood, metal or any other suitable material for filling in the gapsbetween the mounting tiles. Preferably, the height of filler material120 is substantially equivalent to the height of mounting tiles 10and/or 20, to again impart a substantially flat surface to this tertiarylevel. Finally, a floor covering 121 is laid down on top of thetransitional tertiary surface formed by mounting tiles 10 and/or 20 andfiller material 120, to create a final flooring surface. Floor covering121 is the “floor” upon which passengers of the vehicle will walk afterthe seats have been installed. As such, floor covering 121 can compriseany material known by those of skill in the art to be used for vehicleflooring, such as plastic, wood, vinyl, carpet or a rubberized material.

FIG. 9 depicts the finished floor of the vehicle, including floorcovering 121, and mounting tiles 10 and 20 hidden underneath (as shownin phantom). FIG. 9 further depicts standard vehicle seat 124 mounted ontop of mounting tiles 10 a and 10 b, as well as folding vehicle seat 125mounted on top of mounting tile 20 a. The method of affixing standardvehicle seat 124 to mounting tiles 10 a and 10 b, and of affixing andfolding vehicle seat 125 to mounting tile 20 a, is further describedhereinbelow with respect to FIGS. 10 and 11.

FIG. 10 depicts a cross-sectional view of the completed vehicle floorand, specifically, of the section of vehicle floor 100 on which mountingtile 10 a (shown in FIG. 9) is affixed. The bottom-most layer depictedin FIG. 10 is OEM floor 101, which includes ridge 110. Immediately aboveOEM floor 101 is a piece of optional bar stock 112, which is covered bymetal plating 118. Mounting tile 10 a is affixed on top of metal plating118, and the sections behind and in front of mounting tile 10 a arefilled with filler material 120. Finally, floor covering 121 is laid ontop of mounting tile 10 a and filler material 120.

Standard vehicle seat 124 (shown in FIG. 9) includes leg element 130,for use with mounting tile 10 a, and leg element 131, for use withmounting tile 10 b, with leg elements 130, 131 protruding downward fromstandard vehicle seat 124. Each of leg elements 130, 131 is integrallyattached to a mounting bracket, for example, mounting bracket 132, whichmay be of substantially the same surface area as mounting tile 10 a. Legelements 130, 131 are of a substantially rectangular shape, and remainopen on one side to enable the attachment of fastener elements 136, 137and 138. Fastener element 136 is telescopically received by andcooperates with weld nut 16 a, which is affixed to aperture 16 inmounting tile 10 a. Likewise, fastener element 137 is telescopicallyreceived by and cooperates with weld nut 17 a, which is affixed toaperture 17 in mounting tile 10 a. As shown in FIG. 10, unlike fastenerelements 136 and 137, which do not protrude beyond the layer of metalplating 118, fastener element 138 protrudes downward through mountingtile 10 a, through metal plating 118, and through OEM floor 101, whereit is telescopically received by and cooperates with nut 18 a. Since legelement 132 is the rear-most leg element of standard vehicle seat 124,this affixation of leg element 132 through the bottom of OEM floor 101creates additional stability for restraining standard vehicle seat 124in its position, in the case of a forward-moving vehicle impact.Alternatively, aperture 18 of mounting tile 10 a may also include weldnut 18′, in which case fastener element 138 does not protrude downwardlythrough the entirety of mounting tile 10 a.

FIG. 11 depicts a cross-sectional view of the completed vehicle floorand, specifically, of the section of vehicle floor 100 on which mountingtile 20 a (shown in FIG. 9) is affixed. The bottom-most layer depictedin FIG. 10 is OEM floor 101, which includes ridge 110. Immediately aboveOEM floor 101 are pieces of optional bar stock 112, which are covered bymetal plating 118. Mounting tile 20 a is affixed on top of metal plating118, and the sections to the sides of mounting tile 20 a are filled withfiller material 120. Finally, floor covering 121 is laid on top ofmounting tile 20 a and filler material 120.

Folding vehicle seat 125 (shown in FIG. 9) is cantilevered, and thusincludes only a single leg element 140, for use with mounting tile 20 a.Leg element 140 protrudes downward from folding vehicle seat 125, andsupports the weight of folding vehicle seat 125 via cantilever 142. Thebottom of leg element 140 is integrally attached to mounting bracket141, which may be of substantially the same surface area as mountingtile 20 a. As shown in FIG. 11, fastener elements 136 are telescopicallyreceived by and cooperate with weld nuts 36 a, 36 b, which are affixedto apertures 36 in mounting tile 20 a. Likewise, fastener element 133 istelescopically received by and cooperates with weld nut 33 a, which isaffixed to aperture 33 in mounting tile 20 a. While not shown in FIG.11, additional fastener elements are telescopically received by andcooperate with weld nuts 37′ (shown in FIG. 3B). Further, as describedabove with respect to FIG. 10, to provide additional stability in thecase of a forward-moving vehicle impact, additional fastener elements140, 142 may protrude through apertures 38 (also shown in FIG. 3B),downward through mounting tile 20 a, through metal plating 118, andthrough OEM floor 101, where they are telescopically received by andcooperate with nuts 40, 42 underneath OEM floor 101. Alternatively,apertures 38 of mounting tile 20 a may each also include a weld nut, inwhich case the fastener elements 140, 142 cooperate with the weld nuts,and do not protrude downwardly past metal plating 118.

The foregoing description and drawings merely explain and illustrate theinvention, and the invention is not so limited, as those skilled in theart who have the disclosure before them will be able to makemodifications and variations therein without departing from the scope ofthe invention.

What is claimed is:
 1. A mounting tile apparatus for mounting a vehicleseat structure to a vehicle floor, comprising: a first continuoustubular member having a substantially rectangular cross sectional shape,a substantially flat top portion and a substantially flat bottomportion, and a first end opposite a second end, said first continuoustubular member also having a first longitudinal side and a secondlongitudinal side opposite said first longitudinal side; a secondcontinuous tubular member having a substantially rectangular crosssectional shape, a substantially flat top portion and a substantiallyflat bottom portion, and a first end opposite a second end, said secondcontinuous tubular member also having a first longitudinal side and asecond longitudinal side opposite said first longitudinal side; and aninverted U-shaped channel having a substantially flat top portion, afirst longitudinal side and a second longitudinal side opposite saidfirst longitudinal side, and a first end opposite a second end; saidsecond longitudinal side of said first tubular member being affixed tosaid first longitudinal side of said U-shaped channel and said secondlongitudinal side of said U-shaped channel being affixed to said firstlongitudinal side of said second tubular member, said top portion ofsaid U-shaped channel including at least two apertures for cooperatingwith fastener elements in said vehicle seat structure, and said topportion of said U-shaped channel being substantially co-planar with thesubstantially flat top portions of each of said first and secondcontinuous tubular members.
 2. The mounting tile apparatus of claim 1,in which said first and second continuous tubular members are eachaffixed to said U-shaped channel along their respective first and secondlongitudinal sides through a longitudinal weld.
 3. The mounting tileapparatus of claim 1, in which at least one of said at least twoapertures in the top portion of said U-shaped channel includes a weldnut positioned immediately below and in alignment with said aperture. 4.The mounting tile apparatus of claim 1, in which at least one of thefirst and second ends of said first and second continuous tubularmembers and said U-shaped channel are aligned, said mounting tileapparatus further comprising at least one end plate affixed to therespective ends of said first continuous tubular member, said secondcontinuous tubular member and said U-shaped channel.
 5. The mountingtile apparatus of claim 4, in which said at least one end plate isaffixed to said first and second continuous tubular members and saidU-shaped channel collectively through welding.
 6. The mounting tileapparatus of claim 1, in which the length, width and height of the firstand second continuous tubular members are substantially equal.
 7. Themounting tile apparatus of claim 6, in which the length and width of theU-shaped channel is substantially identical to the length and width,respectively, of the first and second continuous tubular members.
 8. Amounting tile apparatus for mounting a vehicle seat structure to avehicle floor, comprising: a first continuous tubular member having asubstantially rectangular cross sectional shape, a substantially flattop portion and a substantially flat bottom portion, and a first endopposite a second end, said first continuous tubular member also havinga first longitudinal side and a second longitudinal side opposite saidfirst longitudinal side; a second continuous tubular member having asubstantially rectangular cross sectional shape, a substantially flattop portion and a substantially flat bottom portion, and a first endopposite a second end, said second continuous tubular member also havinga first longitudinal side and a second longitudinal side opposite saidfirst longitudinal side; a third continuous tubular member having asubstantially rectangular cross sectional shape, a substantially flattop portion and a substantially flat bottom portion, and a first endopposite a second end, said third continuous tubular member also havinga first longitudinal side and a second longitudinal side opposite saidfirst longitudinal side; a fourth continuous tubular member having asubstantially rectangular cross sectional shape, a substantially flattop portion and a substantially flat bottom portion, and a first endopposite a second end, said fourth continuous tubular member also havinga first longitudinal side and a second longitudinal side opposite saidfirst longitudinal side; a first inverted U-shaped channel having asubstantially flat top portion, a first longitudinal side and a secondlongitudinal side opposite said first longitudinal side, and a first endopposite a second end; and a second inverted U-shaped channel having asubstantially flat top portion, a first longitudinal side and a secondlongitudinal side opposite said first longitudinal side, and a first endopposite a second end; said second longitudinal side of said firsttubular member being affixed to said first longitudinal side of saidfirst U-shaped channel, and said second longitudinal side of said firstU-shaped channel being affixed to said first longitudinal side of saidsecond tubular member, said second longitudinal side of said secondtubular member being positioned adjacent a first side of a spaced gap,in which said bracket element is positioned, the second side of saidspaced gap being positioned adjacent the first longitudinal side of saidthird continuous tubular member, with a bracket element spanning thewidth of said spaced gap to connect the second longitudinal side of saidsecond continuous tubular member to the first longitudinal side of saidthird continuous tubular member, said second longitudinal side of saidthird tubular member being affixed to said first longitudinal side ofsaid second U-shaped channel, and said second longitudinal side of saidsecond U-shaped channel being affixed to said first longitudinal side ofsaid fourth tubular member, said top portion of said first and secondU-shaped channels including at least two apertures for cooperating withfastener elements in said vehicle seat structure, and said top portionsof said first and second U-shaped channels being substantially co-planarwith the substantially flat top portion of said bracket element and thesubstantially flat top portions of each of said first, second, third andfourth continuous tubular members.
 9. The mounting tile apparatus ofclaim 8, in which said continuous tubular members are affixed to saidU-shaped channels along their respective first and second longitudinalsides through a longitudinal weld.
 10. The mounting tile apparatus ofclaim 8, in which at least one of said at least two apertures in the topportion of said U-shaped channel includes a weld nut positionedimmediately below and in alignment with said aperture.
 11. The mountingtile apparatus of claim 8, in which at least one of the first and secondends of said continuous tubular members, said spaced gap and saidU-shaped channels are aligned, said mounting tile apparatus furthercomprising at least one end plate affixed to the respective ends of saidcontinuous tubular members and said U-shaped channels.
 12. The mountingtile apparatus of claim 11, in which said at least one end plate isaffixed through welding.
 13. The mounting tile apparatus of claim 8, inwhich the length, width and height of each of said first, second, thirdand fourth continuous tubular members are substantially equal.
 14. Themounting tile apparatus of claim 13, in which the length and width ofsaid first and second U-shaped channels are substantially identical tothe length and width, respectively, of the first, second, third andfourth continuous tubular members.
 15. The mounting tile apparatus ofclaim 8, in which said bracket element includes an aperture that issubstantially co-planar with at least one of said apertures in saidfirst and second U-shaped channels.
 16. A method for mounting a vehicleseat structure to a vehicle floor, said vehicle seat structure havingfastener elements therein and said vehicle floor having pre-formedridges within its OEM floor, the method comprising: affixing a layer ofangle iron to at least the side edges of the OEM floor to a heightsubstantially equal to the height of said pre-formed ridges, to create asubstantially level primary surface formed by said pre-formed ridges andsaid angle iron; affixing a substantially level secondary surface on topof said substantially level primary surface formed by said pre-formedridges and said angle iron; affixing at least one vehicle seat mountingtile to said substantially level secondary surface, said at least onemounting tile having at least one fastener element positionedtherewithin; positioning a filler material on top of said substantiallylevel secondary surface at locations in which no mounting tiles wereaffixed to said substantially level secondary surface, to create asubstantially level tertiary surface formed by said at least onemounting tile and said filler material; positioning a floor covering ontop of said substantially level tertiary surface; aligning said fastenerelements in said vehicle seat structure with the at least one fastenerelement in said at least one mounting tile; and attaching said fastenerelements in said vehicle seat structure to said at least one fastenerelement in said at least one mounting tile to restrainably attach thevehicle seat structure in position atop the floor covering.
 17. Themethod of claim 16, in which each of the affixing steps are accomplishedthrough welding.
 18. The method of claim 16, in which said fillermaterial comprises at least one piece of wood.
 19. The method of claim16, in which the height of said filler material is substantiallyidentical to the height of said at least one mounting tile.
 20. Themethod of claim 16, in which said substantially level secondary surfacecomprises a layer of metal plating.
 21. The method of claim 16, in whichthe step of affixing a layer of angle iron is preceded by affixing oneor more elements of bar stock between the pre-formed ridges in said OEMfloor.
 22. The method of claim 16, in which the floor covering comprisesat least one of plastic, wood, vinyl, carpet or rubberized material.